


Without You

by ihappentobeonfire



Series: In My Arms (JJP Stories) [1]
Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Child!Bambam, Child!Yugyeom, Fluff, IM SO SOFT, JJP are the main characters, Jinyoung is lonely without his man, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Some angst, child!youngjae, the middle is a bit angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 20:29:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14859734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihappentobeonfire/pseuds/ihappentobeonfire
Summary: Jaebeom receives a valuable work opportunity overseas, but it requires leaving his small family behind. Jinyoung struggles to take care of his son, Youngjae, and himself, without the help of Jaebeom. After 3 long years, they’re finally reunited.—==+==—Or1,576,800 minutes without you.





	Without You

“Jinyoung, welcome home” Jaebeom greeted, leaning his elbows on the kitchen counter as the door opened and his lover walked in behind his son, who immediately ran off to his room. Neither seemed to notice the sudden absence of the small boy, due to the tension that suddenly hung in the room, materializing as the door closed behind the younger.

“Is something wrong?” Jinyoung asked quietly, hesitantly sliding onto the barstool on the other side of the counter.

“No” Jaebeom sighed, and picked up a piece of paper that has been sitting next to him, sliding it across the granite without another word. Jinyoung picked it up and read it silently, his expression changing from worry to delight as he processes the printed words.

“Jaebeom, this is great! They want you to teach at an American university!” Jinyoung smiled, looking up quickly. His smile faded as his husband creased his eyebrows.

“Keep reading” the older mumbled, and Jinyoung’s eyes flicked back down to the page.

“.... They want you in the states for 3 years” was all he said as he read the final paragraph, the amount of time seeming to stand out angrily on the page.

“If I go they’d have me teaching a class on astrophysics. I’d also give lectures on the firewall theory. When I came back, we’d have enough money to move to the country like you’ve always wanted.” Jaebeom ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the black strands.

“I… don’t know what to say” Jinyoung started, setting the paper down gently, as if it would break.

“You should go.” Jinyoung finally said after a long silence. The older’s lips parted, as if he was expecting to have to persuade his other half it was a wonderful opportunity. “If you want to go, you should. It’s… a phenomenal opportunity, to say the least.”

The silence lingered for a few moments longer.

“I know you won’t want to, but I’m leaving no stone unturned here” Jaebeom started, locking eyes with the younger. “You could come with me” 

“No” Jinyoung responded immediately, shaking his head gently. “If it was just you and I, I’d go in a heartbeat. Youngjae is too young to be traveling to foreign countries he doesn’t understand for a long period of time. It’ll be bad enough to take you from him, but it would be worse to take him from his home.” The smaller added on, not taking note of the small presence in the doorway. “Believe me, Jaebeom, I want to go with you, but I won’t leave Youngjae behind nor will I drag him with us. Plus, isn’t Mark in the same situation? You two are partners after all.”

“Mark and Jackson already decided, Jackson is staying back, Mark is going.”

“Perfect, then Jackson and I can struggle together” Jinyoung joked, although his voice caught in his throat slightly. 

“Is dad leaving?” Youngjae suddenly asked from the entryway, startling Jinyoung, who squeaked and jumped in his seat.

“Not for forever, Youngjae-ah. It’ll be just you and mom for a while though. I have to go to the United States for work. Do you know where they are?” Jaebeom quickly responded, sensing the distress in his son’s mind. Jinyoung nodded gratefully as the older scooped up the boy and made his way out of the room, and then set his forehead on the counter as the kitchen fell into an uneasy silence. Three years. He’d have to live without Jaebeom for three years. 1,000 days. By the time he came back Youngjae would be 10. His breath hitched, and he wiped his eyes with his sleeves, determined not to cry yet. 

-=+=-

“This is it, huh?” Jinyoung whispered, his grip on the bag in his hands tightening. The usually exciting airport seemed bleak and unhappy, with his lover standing in front of him, preparing to go. Of course, he had come to terms with it a long time ago, but it was still overwhelming, to be faced with the concept that they wouldn’t be able to physically see each other for what seemed like forever.

“Remember, only 1,576,800 minutes” Jaebeom whispered, looking just as discouraged himself. The boarding call came for his flight, and Jinyoung squeaked, dropping the bag and throwing his arms around Jaebeom’s neck, pulling him close. The older slid an arm around Jinyoung’s waist and held him patiently, tracing small shapes with his thumb. 

“I’ll be okay, you’ll be okay. I’ll call you whenever I can, I promise” the older slowly detached himself as his section of the flight was called, and pressed his lips to Jinyoung’s forehead for a moment before grabbing his bags and heading towards the desk without another word. He knew if either of them said anything else, he wouldn’t have been able to walk away. Jinyoung watched as he disappeared through the doors, and glanced down at his watch. He mumbled under his breath.

“1,576,799” 

-=+=-

Jinyoung opened the door tiredly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and trying to collect himself. Youngjae was having Yugyeom, Mark and Jackson’s son, and Bambam, a class friend, over for his 10th birthday. He wanted it to be small, so it was small. Jinyoung smiled. Anything for his birthday boy. He had a little over an hour to prepare, so he quickly unlocked Jaebeom’s office, now collecting dust, and set his briefcase down inside, slipping one finger into the knot of his tie and loosening it. 

“Youngjae-ah!” Jinyoung called, knowing that the small boy had entered the apartment behind him. 

“Yeah?”

“What do you want for food?” He asked when Youngjae entered the kitchen.

“I’m not sure. Uh, maybe just order pizza and get snacks or something?” The young boy requested timidly, already changed into his “party clothes” (an eye-catching ensemble of shorts and a t-shirt) and looking eager.

“Sure. Remember they’re not gonna be here for an hour, so be patient.” 

“Yeah, okay. Can I play on the XBox?”

“Go ahead”

Jinyoung wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, leaning on the counter and cringing. He felt like shit, but of course that wouldn’t affect anything. Just another obstacle, like that damn XBox. It was all Youngjae had asked for last year, so he made sure he got it. Not without quite some work, though. Today was the earliest convenient day for Youngjae’s party, which happened to fall on the 21st. That meant the boys would be sleeping over on, of all days, his own birthday. He brushed it off and got to work getting out the necessary things to set up.

-=+=-

Jinyoung was starting to get nervous. He hadn’t heard much from Jaebeom, and when he had it was vague little snippets. The older was supposed to be back soon (when, he didn’t really know. Soon could also span half the year, so he wasn’t hopeful) causing him to be even more on edge. What if he decided to stay in the states? What if he abandoned them?

To make matters worse, Jinyoung’s health was steadily declining. He had gotten better from Youngjae’s birthday, and held out until almost the end of the school year, but then he saw a significant dip. There was one scary morning he couldn’t sit up for a good 10 minutes. He ran a nearly constant fever, had to sit down every half an hour or so, and seemed to be physically incapable of smiling for the time being. It made music class a bit more gloomy. He only had one more week of teaching, he could survive, right? 

He placed his fingers gingerly on the keys of the piano in the main room of the apartment, pressing down in rehearsed patterns. He only ever played piano at home when he needed a distraction. He switched to a more familiar tune and sang quietly along, trying not to butcher the foreign pronunciation.

‘ _Hold, hold on, hold on to me_  
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady  
A little unsteady  
Hold on, hold on, hold on to me  
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady  
A little unsteady’

He exhaled, continuing to play through but ceasing the singing. After a few more minutes of half-hearted playing, he made his way into the kitchen to finish the instrument forms for his 4th graders. 

“Wonpil wants to play the keyboard, hm?” He mumbled to himself, noting that on his paper so he could place the young boy into the respective lessons. 

“Dowoon… drums?” 

He sighed and set his pen down, staring at the sloppy handwriting on the paper.

“Individualized lessons, then” he added on to nobody in particular, scratching that onto the one open spot he had had on his calendar. Next year was already looking… busy.

“Dad, can Yugyeom come over with Mr. Jackson?” Youngjae called from the other room, startling Jinyoung out of his daze.

“Yeah, sure” he replied, loud enough that he knew Youngjae could hear him. A short while after Jaebeom had left, the young boy had adopted calling him dad instead of mom. The sudden shift in dynamic had, of course, startled and slightly disoriented Jinyoung, but it didn’t even phase him now. He straightened out his papers and finished up placing the last few, reminding himself to submit the instrument pre-rental before the end of the year.

Knowing Jackson, he was already in the car, eager to be in someone else’s presence, which gave Jinyoung roughly 15 minutes before his apartment would be teeming with positive emotions, opposed to the welcoming yet somehow cold grey walls he was usually surrounded by. 

Sure enough, a mere 17 minutes (he definitely hadn’t been counting) the front door opened, announcing the arrival of Jinyoung’s closest (and loudest) friend. There was no knock, as per usual, just an explosion of noise, paired with a sharp

“JINYOUNGIE!”

The man sighed and looked down at the spreadsheet he had been making on his laptop, rubbing his eyes and pushing his hair out of his face. 

“Jinyoung~ come out come out wherever you are” Jackson chided from what sounded like the family room, and Jinyoung made a noise to alert the older to his presence. Immediately, he found himself in the direct company of the other rowdy male. 

“Jackson, how are you?” Jinyoung asked, not taking his eyes off the screen as he typed in lesson times and reconfigured the size of the selected cell. 

“You know, the usual. Little lonely, little busy. Nothing too bad though.”

Jinyoung nodded, finishing up the section he was on and typing himself a small note in the next section before finally looking up. Jackson was leaning against the counter, his bleach blonde hair pushed back from his forehead. The usual golden chain necklace Mark had given him for their anniversary hung from his neck, halfway tucked into his tight black shirt. Compared to Jackson’s muscular, confident presence, he was sure he paled in comparison. 

“You don’t look too hot” Jackson furrowed his eyebrows, reaching out with one hand to feel Jinyoung’s forehead, who quickly bat his hand away and retreated further into himself, curling up slightly in his chair. 

“Stop being so stubborn and let someone take care of your for once!” Jackson snapped, his gaze intensifying as he locked eyes with Jinyoung, the younger’s dark orbs looking hazy. The older stood straight and pressed the back of his hand to Jinyoung’s forehead, narrowing his eyes.

“You’re burning up, you need to lay down and sleep” Jackson sighed, half pulling the taller, but lankier man out of his seat and dragging him down the small hallway and into the master bed, flopping him down in the mattress. He pulled Jinyoung’s tie off for him, and unbuttoned his dress shirt as well, pulling him up by the shoulders to slide the white material off of him. He replaced it with a large half marathon shirt that had been lying on the floor, which was clearly one of Jaebeom’s. Jinyoung finally seemed to regain some control of his body, and tugged his black pants off while Jackson searched through their bathroom for god knows what. 

“Do you not own a washcloth oh my god” Jackson groaned from the bathroom, and Jinyoung smiled a little, trying to push himself up on his elbows but yelping at the sharp pain that shot through his head and collapsing back onto the mattress, bringing up his arms in order to press his fingers to the sides of his head. A soothing hand pressed against his arm, and he felt himself being picked up and then laid back down in a more comfortable position. Slowly, he lowered his hands, and the pressure was replaced by a cool washcloth, seemingly out of nowhere.

“You get some rest, I’ll call Jaebeom”

“No- don’t call him” Jinyoung mumbled, almost deliriously.

“Why not?”

“He’s-“ Jinyoung yawned, “busy. Don’t wanna bother him…” he drifted off, his head dropping slightly to the side as sleep overtook him. Jackson rolled his eyes and dug his phone out of his pocket.

“Bother him my ass”

-=+=-

Jaebeom fidgeted in his seat, eagerly awaiting the complete halt of the aircraft. They were still rolling off of the runway, the gentle rumble reminding him that he was in motion. He had conspired with a friend of Jinyoung’s, Brian, in order to surprise both him and Jackson. Mark seemed just as anxious in the seat beside him, constantly checking his watch.

“2 hours, dude” he grinned, tapping his finger on the face. 

The rest of arrival went smoothly, up until the bag claim. It took a good 30 minutes for all of their bags to come, and even then they weren’t sure they had everything. By the time they exited the airport, there was a mere hour until the moment they had been waiting for since the plane first left the ground over 1,000 days ago. Jaebeom could hardly contain himself when his feet came in contact with the concrete of the city street, familiar signs and shop names plastered up and down the road. Mark whacked his arm and jumped up and down like a hyperactive 6 year old. If Brian followed their plan, they would have enough time to drop their stuff off at home (undetected) and make their way to the same park that Jaebeom had proposed in all those years ago. 

Hopefully, everything was on schedule.

-

Jaebeom walked through the park, keeping his eyes peeled for a man with soft raven hair and porcelain skin, with a child attached to his hip. They had received a text from Brian, telling them where to find Jackson and Yugyeom, and that they had left Jinyoung and Youngjae near the bridge. Now, Jaebeom was just around the bend from the bridge, where the two hopefully still were. He stopped and took a deep breath, a smile subconsciously spreading across his face as he stepped forward, just enough to see the bridge but not be easily detected. His eyes darted up and down the familiar structure, locking on to a pair near the opposite side, sitting on the stone and talking. He could recognize them anywhere- even from the back. The curve to Jinyoung’s waist, visible even through his t-shirt, the casual clothes yet professional look that only he could pull off. And of course, Youngjae’s hyperactive tendencies, his signature laugh. Even though he could tell it was them… he wasn’t sure. They seemed too different. Jinyoung has always been up and about, in the thick of the action, as had Youngjae. Seeing them both just sitting, in quiet discussion, with fields and hills they could be running across, stuck him as a bit odd. 

He stepped forward again, walking quietly towards the bridge, stopping at the center and marveling at how caught up they were in their own little world. He noticed the drawn-out, overly exaggerated breaths Jinyoung was taking. He must have been sick, he always did that when he was sick. Jaebeom subconsciously thought back to the phone call he had received from Jackson the week before about Jinyoung falling ill. 

“Dad?”

He blinked, locking eyes with Youngjae, who sat in stunned silence for a few moments before vaulting off the ground and tackling Jaebeom in a hug, knocking him back a step or two. He had certainly grown.

“Youngjae-ah, look at you! You’re all grown up now” he laughed, squeezing his son gently. The grin on his face refused to leave, almost permanently infused on his face. The boy hopped down and called out to Yugyeom, who was apparently somewhere nearby, quickly running off. Jaebeom looked up again, this time taking in what he was seeing. Jinyoung was paler, slimmer. His eyes glimmered a bit less. He wasn’t glowing as much. Still, regardless of his differences, Jaebeom regarded him as ethereal, but it was concerning to the elder, how his lover stayed in place, rubbing his arm nervously like he didn’t want Jaebeom to be there. 

“Jinyoungie, is… is something wrong?” He asked quietly, taking a tentative step forward and holding out his hand.

“Am I dreaming?” He whispered, looking at Jaebeom’s hand like it would disappear. “Are you really here?”

Jaebeom choked on his words and nodded, letting the tears slip out of his eyes as Jinyoung suddenly surged forward, wrapping his arms around Jaebeom’s neck and sobbing into his shirt, knitting his hands into the fabric. The elder held Jinyoung close, one hand carding through his hair and the other around his waist, shielding him as he cried. Jaebeom sighed and squeezed him gently. 

“I missed you, Jinyoungie.”

“I missed you too”

Jinyoung pulled back slightly, for the sole purpose of pressing his lips to Jaebeom’s for the first time in 3 years, tasting the salt of their mixed tears, but not really caring. He worked one hand into Jaebeom’s hair, pressing himself against the elder, happy to finally be able to feel the warmth emanating from his body. He could almost feel the energy surging back into his veins, a willingness to do anything- everything. He swore, in that moment, he believed that nothing was beyond his reach, not the sun or the moon or the black holes that had torn their life apart and reassembled it. 

When, eventually, to prevent asphyxiation, Jaebeom pulled back, panting, he swore that Jinyoung had never shone so bright. Sure, it may have been the tears that still clouded his eyes, the euphoria being pumped throughout his body with every frantic beat of his heart. But, the most likely option, in his mind, was that his love had always obtained this beauty- he had merely become blind to it. Now, when nothing but air separated them, after 1,576,800 minutes, he could finally open his eyes and see the world blooming in full color.

**Author's Note:**

> This marks the beginning of a JJP Drabble series!!! Sorry it was a bit rushed, I really wanted to put something out. If you have anybody requests or suggestions leave them in the comments. Thank you so much for reading!!!! Any feedback is much appreciated!


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